Olivera Katarina

Serbia

Olivera Katarina is laureate for contribution to domestic cinema.

She is one of the greatest Serbian actresses and singers, and a major diva of the 1960s and 1970s in our region. After graduating from the Faculty of Law in Belgrade, she went to Paris and, upon returning, enrolled in the Theater Academy in her hometown, where she studied alongside notable figures such as Petar Kralj and Milena Dravić. In 1962, she secured a permanent role at the National Theatre in the play "Koštana". Her film "The Soldier" was also presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 1966.

Italian Radio Television (RAI) named her the most beautiful voice of the Mediterranean, and she has been featured in The New York Times and other international media. She performed a song dedicated to her by the renowned composer Charles Dumont, who is famous for his work with Édith Piaf. Olivera Katarina has held over 100 concerts worldwide, gaining significant popularity in Japan, and performed 72 consecutive concerts at the Olympia in Paris.

Her most famous role was in "I Even Met Happy Gypsies" (1967), which won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. She was also honored for the film "Goya" at festivals in Moscow and Venice. In 2017, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of "I Even Met Happy Gypsies", she visited the Cannes Film Festival and performed the song "Đelem, Đelem". That same year, she received the highest award from the Yugoslav Film Archive, the Golden Seal, and in 2020, she was awarded the Nušić Award for Lifetime Achievement.